Dynamic modeling-based flight PD controller applied to an unmanned hexarotor helicopter

Abstract

In this paper, we describe the design and performance of a prototype multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform featuring autonomous flying based on an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for use in bluetooth communication environments. Although there has been a fair amount of study on free-flying UAVs with multiple rotors, the more recent trend has been to outfit hexarotor UAVs with gimbals to support various services. This paper introduces the hardware and software systems for very compact and autonomous hexarotors, which can be used for search & rescue and surveillance missions without external assistance systems like ground station computers, high-performance remote control devices, or vision systems. This study included the construction of the test hexarotor platform, the implementation of an IMU, mathematical modeling, and simulation of the UAV. Furthermore, the hexarotor UAV with the implemented IMU was connected to a microcontroller unit (ARM-cortex) board. The microcontroller was able to control the rotational speed of the rotors and used the IMU measurements as input signals. A control simulation and experiment with the real system were implemented for the test platform, and the results were evaluated and compared.